HEALING BROKEN HEARTS AND WOUNDED SOULS

Posts tagged ‘season’

Yes, that is what Christmas means to me this year; a season for emotional healing.

This because this year, this particular Christmas season, God has led me to help so many people who are in bondage because of past hurts and wounds incurred in the past.

I have had to help people get up from the fall of financial bankruptcy, disappointments in relationships, broken homes, family strife, divorce and the trauma caused by shameful experiences of the past.

What is your own story? Have you been abused, ostracized, rejected, hated, ridiculed and insulted?

Do not give up on life, there are still good people out there. Do not give up on yourself, you still have much to give out to the world. Do not give up on God, because He will never give up on you.

Yes, someone hurt you in the past. But they do not deserve that you continue suffering for their sake. Face that pain squarely and tell it ” I’m not letting you kill me…I’m bigger than this…I’m not done with life yet…”

Do not take that hurt into the new year. I challenge you to lay it down at the feet of your Savior, Jesus. Dare to speak out…share it with someone who cares. It will lift off some of the pain. Face that person and tell them what they did wasn’t right. If they acknowledge it, good, if not, you would have taken a load off your chest.

Like this:

Life is made of seasons. Some seasons require that we let go while other seasons need a holding on.

If you hold on when you are supposed to let go, you are in trouble; and if you let go when you are expected to keep holding on, you are in as much trouble.

Now you ask me, when do I know it’s time to hold on or to let go? Good question.

For this we need discernment. Ask of God and He will give you of this spirit abundantly and free of charge.

In addition to this we need wisdom; not the wisdom of this world that comes to nothing but divine wisdom that leads to sure victory. “Is it wise for me to hold on or to let go in this situation?”

Furthermore you need to know your bigger purpose in life. “Does letting go, or holding on, fit into the bigger purpose, vision, plan for my life?”

For all of these to work together for your good you need faith, the kind of unshakable faith that defies all odds. You must have self-confidence and the right kind of self-esteem so that you don’t get tossed from one opinion to another by public opinion.

There will be times in your life wherein the whole world (including your spouse, father, pastor, child etc) is against you. At the same time, the Spirit of God, and your deepest conviction are saying the contrary. What will you do in this case? Give in to the pressure?

There is a time to hold on and a time to let go. May you never hold on to dry branches, and may you never let go of God-given opportunities.

Discern, be wise, be purposeful, then take a stand and be ready to defend it with your faith.

When I look back on my life I discover that the time I was the hardest to please coincides with the time I hated myself the most. What is the relationship between these two realities?

If you do not like yourself, nobody else will be able to make you do it and you will be rather hard to please. Why do people hate themselves so?

Long exposure to negative feedback. When people keep hitting it home that you are no good, you could end up accepting it and that will define the way you see yourself.

Lack of positive feedback and appreciation for efforts you invest. When no one ever tells you it was well done you could start thinking you never do anything worth encouraging.

Your best efforts always seem to produce the most mediocre results. You must find out what you are good at and excel therein. You can’t get your best grades in an area you are not gifted in.

The kind of things that happened to you in the past. You might have messed up much too often. But remember, we all do mess up sometimes.

Disabilities that make you look and feel different. This could be very tough, but not impossible to overcome. You need God’s grace for this one. God can enable you to love yourself in spite of any disability you carry.

When faced with self-hatred, we must not blame anyone for our condition. This will only lead to bitterness and that is not good either, for our emotional stability.

It will be an error to try to use our relationships as a means of finding happiness. Strive to get happy as an individual. If you want to get it out of others you might become too demanding and more difficult to please.

Don’t use other people’s successes and achievements as a means to your own happiness. They might no longer be there tomorrow and you will find yourself sinking even lower.

From my own experience I can tell you that getting a lot of stuff around you doesn’t help. A new house, a new car etc. will help you but only for a season.

Ask yourself if you can really be happy if all the stuff were taken away from you. If the answer is yes, then you are happy indeed, or let me say you are experiencing joy.

What do I do then?

Ask God to show you your intrinsic value. There is something about you that when you discover you will begin to sing, and then you will never stop singing ever.

Develop your potentials and become a blessing to others. There is great joy in giving. When you live your life helping others you will hardly get depressed.

Find out your weaknesses and accept them. Stop trying to wipe away your weaknesses by your efforts. If you fail you could become more depressed. Acknowledge them, bring them to God and leave them there.

Read the kind of books that will build up your self-image. Avoid going to places and being with people that speak negativity, that always try to bring you down.

Be happy apart from them, then you will be happy with them.

When you get into a relationship it should be to share what you have, not to get what you want.

Imagine Peter, James and John on the mountain of transfiguration. What a mind-blowing experience! They loved it and like Oliver Twist they asked for more. They were fast transforming the place into a comfort zone. A comfort zone is that place where we think we have arrived; we no longer wish to move ahead no matter what promises lie before us.
A train station, an airport or a bus stop were never meant to be anybody’s permanent residence no matter how charming they might look. When God takes you somewhere for a season and you decide to make of it your permanent habitat, you have just created for yourself a comfort zone.
No matter how sweet that valley is with its beautiful flowers, enchanting butterflies and flowing streams, if God tells you to keep moving, rest assured that the best is yet ahead. Comfort zones keep us mediocre; they stop us from facing challenges and breaking new grounds, and eventually, they prevent us from being the best could be.
Show me a man stuck in a comfort zone and I will show you a lazy fellow, a coward, a man without a vision. These are people who will settle for less than they bargained for. Sometimes, God in His love will provoke earthquakes to kick us out of our comfort zones into our assignment. Your assignment is more important than your personal comfort.
Remember the great deliverance Jesus wrought just after descending from the mountain of transfiguration and the lesson His disciples learned about the importance of fasting. If you are presently settled in a position because you are too afraid of the unknown or because you do not want to deal with that issue ahead, you are probably in a comfort zone.

It may feel comfortable for now but you will soon discover that you are missing out on a lot of nice things. Launch out in faith and trust God to guide you along the way. Remember Father Abraham (Genesis 12).